Promise: the Beating of Our Hearts
by Rebmakash
Summary: The story of Milo and Kida's love and marriage. A major fluff fic.
1. Decisions

Author's Note:

Yep, here's my fluff-fic set on "extra fluffy." It ended up longer than I thought it would… A lot longer… If you can stomach all of this without tossing your cookies, I for one, will be impressed. 

Also, it will seem a section is skipped over. The reason behind this is that I hope to someday write out Kida's backstory (which has been outlined since summer 2002).   


Promise: the Beating of Our Hearts 

  


CHAPTER 1: Decisions 

Milo opened his eyes, realizing his heart had finally decided to rest a moment during its eternal flight. It was free from worry, and when it did not prevent him, he had managed to sleep contentedly. He tried to sit up from his slouched position over the desk only to realize how sore he was from falling asleep there. He put a hand on the back of his neck and twisted it. His vertebrae popped a little, but he found himself yearning for the skilled hands of Doctor Sweet. He stood and stretched, looking at the pile of notes he had written on the Atlantean language last night, but his mind was not straying far from what was bestowing his heart with wings: Kida. 

The linguist went to look out the window, crawling over his unused bed to get there. The combination of how high the lava was and the brightness of the crystallight told him it must be early morning. From his room in the palace he could see a few people here and there having risen early to start their day. 

Now, it was time not only to start his day, but his new life. For everyone, it was a new world, Atlantis having been reborn, but for him it was something greater. It was a new place, a new schedule and new people with new discoveries. It was also a new love… 

Stretching again, he felt an incredible happiness, an elated energy so great in his heart it made him almost wonder if the world had come into such unity it had come to life. 

Milo went back to the desk and opened a small blue inkpot and a bottle of bright red berry juice. Taking a precious sheet of paper and folding it over, he began to write on the front. Making a love note for someone illiterate proved a delightful challenge. Using a straw-like instrument used by the artisans he wrote her name, and then sketched her oldest tattoo beside it, both in blue ink. The scholar thought a moment before marking on the inside. He pulled out a pencil and began to sketch himself and Kida in each other's arms, being careful not to make too many stray marks, as the eraser had already been half-chewed off. He inked the drawing blue, adding a red berry juice heart around them. Though he doubted she'd know the symbol's meaning, he would take great delight in telling her later. 

He waved the paper a moment to dry it, and crept out through the door curtain. He climbed a few flights of stairs to a long hall and listened at the stone door. The man grew nervous when he heard nothing at first, but a soft sigh from within filled him with relief, and he snuck down to the throne room, placing the note on a pillow there, before sprinting out into the morning. 

**. . .**

The marketplace was opening, the vendors setting up shop. Milo wandered a bit, trying to find his destination, as, unfortunately, there was no Shepherd's Journal to guide him this time. As he searched, he could not help his worry. 

"Is this too early?" he wondered softly to himself. "This is only the third day I've known her. I love her so much. I thought I had loved Lisa, but… That doesn't even compare to these feelings! But… It's only been… Less that three days…" 

The bookish man nearly passed the booth while he pondered, and swerved to go inside. 

The shop was cozy inside, faintly lit with crystal-activated lamps. The light sparkled off of the jewelry displays, making the rubies shimmer in particular. The bits of Atlantean crystal glowed modestly in their homes. 

"Hello, sir, what can I do for you?" The words in Atlantean came from a man sitting in a corner, doing some careful etching on a gold armband. 

Milo found the words to reply in the correct language. "Yes, actually, I need--" 

"That accent!" The shopkeeper, now speaking English, looked up from his work. "Milo Thatch! It is a pleasure to have you! What brings you here?" 

"Well, I--" 

"Oh, you must be here to pick up Kida's bracelet. I have not finished resizing it yet, I am afraid, but it will be done a little later today." 

"Actually, no. But don't tell her I was here! It's a surprise." 

"Your being here?" 

"Well, getting something for her." 

"Ooooooh, then what are you looking for?" 

"Well, I need to rings, just alike if I can." 

"Just alike? Is that some tradition in your world?" 

"Not necessarily just alike, but the rings yes! It's… It's a way to tell her just how much I love her..." 

The vendor looked amused. "I had gathered you did." 

"Is it that obvious?" 

"Milo, your smile conquers all others, even your own, of those I have seen." 

The linguist rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess so… She's stolen my heart." 

The vendor nearly dropped his work, eyes wide, and began to rise. "She has done what?! I did not know your people even had such a Heart! How could she--" 

"No-no-no-no-no! Not that heart. I mean…" He put his hand on his chest. "This one. It means I love her." 

The jeweler gave him an odd look. "You have some strange sayings in your culture." He sighed and sat back down. 

"Yeah… So, um… How about those rings?" 

"I will have to make a second. I do not often make the exact same ring again." 

"That's okay. How long?" 

"It depends on what you choose." The jeweler took out some wooden cases, each filed with rings. Milo looked at them, and, though they were all beautiful, they were all rather gaudy by American standards. 

"Is there something wrong?" 

"What?" He realized he let it show, and silently reprimanded himself. "Well, they're all very pretty but… I was hoping for something a little bit more… plain?" 

The jeweler gave him an odd look, but glanced over the cases himself. 

"What about… Hey! This one!" Milo plucked a lonely ring from the display, looking it over. It was relatively intricate, but neither garish nor feminine. There was a Crystal-like design that emphasized the strong, hopeful glow of the Atlantean crystal amongst the gold and silver. "Actually, this would be perfect for both of us!" 

"Does the ring fit you?" 

He slipped it on. "Hey, it does! How about-- Jiminy Christmas! I don't know Kida's ring size!" 

The shopkeeper laughed. "Then it is good I learned long ago." 

"Because she's royalty?" 

"Of course." 

"Oh, you're lifesaver!" 

The jeweler smiled at that. "…I have started on a similar ring that may be her size. It would be easy to convert it if so. This is a fairly simple one. Besides, I can make this ring using a blank, if need be. I need to finish Kida's bracelet first." 

"Oh, definitely. Don't let her see the ring, okay?" 

"Of course." 

"I'll check in later then. Thanks!" 

"I will see you!" 

Milo exited, heading back to the palace to continue his studies. The world was blessed with peace, and he beamed brighter than the Crystal could ever hope to. 

**. . .**

The first sensation that came to her was a slight ache, but she had grown used to it. It had been there since the Heart of Atlantis had called her, but it, like her fatigue from the ordeal, was fading. Tomorrow it would probably be gone. Her face would probably still itch from the tattoos, however. 

The new queen uncurled and stretched, not fully aware yet. After all, her thoughts centered on an intrinsic world at that moment. Today was her first full day as queen, the short but formal ceremony held the day before. 

The thought of that rank was strange on her lips, she had found. It was not that she did not believe she could do the job adequately or that she felt like her mother must have, but the knowledge of who was lost to give her that title caused her heart pain. 

Eyes still closed, she thought about her loving father and how deeply she missed him. Before her own ceremony had been his. The king's body was cremated by way of a funeral pyre, glittering gold, and his ashes thrown into the winds and waters of Atlantis, soon to make it into the lava where he would join the earth itself. Kida kept her eyes closed a moment longer, having felt the tears well up behind her lids. The waters receded, and she opened her eyes, blinking at the light and the remnants of what was left of the tears. She closed her eyes again, drowsy, and her mind went back to the thoughts of yesterday. 

**. . .**

Kida paused at the doorway, looking out at the new world, a world her father would never see. Sadly she clutched her crystal, holding back the tears. She wiped her face, as tears had already escaped her eyes earlier. She was tired both physically and emotionally. The woman put a hand on the great stone door of the palace. Her family was gone. 

Yes, Atlantis had been saved, but she felt she had not. The explorers would be leaving later that day, and with them, her first true love, a love she realized before it was too late, something she thought she would never find. Milo had come to her world, and with him, love journeyed down to her. The feeling, not just his acts, was changing her world. When his visited hers, she found it could be heartless, and it had taken advantage of her trust, but his coming showed her something else. Love is meant to be found in one's life, even briefly. She longed to feel his arms around her again at that moment, but it was her fault he was not there. Kida remembered saying she needed to be with her father alone. Hoping his spirit would stay near his body, she wept out how much she loved him and her apologies and regrets. He was right. Now that she was taking the throne, she did understand what he had done, through Milo's retelling. She did not agree, but she did understand. 

The new queen stepped outside. A large part of her wanted to go up with him, but she knew she could not. As amazing as his world must be, her duty was in Atlantis, and she would be forever leaving a new life behind by not going with him. Even before it was too late, her regrets grew. As her bare feet stepped upon cold stone streets, she did not know how she could manage it. After all he had done, she had no clue how she could say goodbye. Except for when she thought of her father, her thoughts centered on him, as she knew she would every day of her life. On her way to meet Milo she wondered how it might be to spend her life with him, what could be, and what she knew could not. Since the moment she found him, she felt something, realized what had been missing, unfulfilled. It was only a few hours ago Kida felt it well up inside her, grow stronger and take hold of her. 

Now, as she moved on past her father's death, she would have to pretend to move past the hero's departure. No one could take his place. She knew a part of her would always go out to be with him, no matter what her life or his became. Kida would miss his voice, his face, and forever remember her short time with him. Atlantis would never forget him. How could she? 

She had fallen in love, but Milo would not be there to catch her. Tears fell. 

**. . .**

The linguist paused among his papers and sighed. He simply could not think straight, and he chuckled to himself, since he knew well why. Milo rested his elbow on the desk, supporting his chin with his hand as he remembered the previous day. 

**. . .**

Milo paced along the ancient dock as he waited for her, a smitten smile on his face wider than a stone giant could express. He looked around, feeling he was truly in paradise. Of course, to him, anyplace she was would be heaven. The linguist had already told the others of his decision. He didn't care that it surprised them. Once he had dreamed about standing alongside his grandfather as one of the greatest explorers of all time. Milo did not care any longer what others thought as far as that went. He knew what he achieved, and he could not leave after tasting paradise. He'd follow Kida anywhere, and if she was in Atlantis, the place he had always dreamed of finding, he would not mind in the slightest. He would just be following his heart, as he always did. As long as she loved him, he felt he could do anything. Nothing would happen to him. The pains of the world had been healed by her touch, by her love. For the first time in his life, the lingering loneliness had gone away, the void filled. 

Then it struck him. All his life he had searched for Atlantis. Kida, as queen, actually was Atlantis in a sense, even to the point of becoming one with what kept it alive to this day, what let it avoid the sleep of death. His dream had become real, and he would not walk away, planning to stay here and live it. He did not fear the changes about to occur in his life, but rather, embraced them. 

Kida had walked on water. He would try it himself if that was what it took. His heart beat for her, thunder in his ears when he closed his eyes, a wonderful feeling filling him whenever he did so. He had never felt so free in his life, and he knew Kida must feel the same in that respect. The feeling within him was intense and glorious, and his grin was proof he could not hold it in. 

Sure, they had come for treasure, simple money. He knew they had nothing. It was only something material. There was treasure in the wonder of love. 

**. . .**

When Kida saw him standing there, her heart filled her with energy and elation, a feeling she knew could not last. She wanted him to stay forever with her, and she found herself praying so badly for it. She was desperate to stay with him, but she knew she could say nothing. He would want to return to his own home, and, as much as she wanted to, she knew it would be too much to ask him to forever leave it, as it would be too much for her to abandon her home. Kida thought about being blunt about it anyway, but doubted it would get her anywhere. She came to him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. 

**. . .**

Milo jumped at her touch, and whirled around awkwardly. 

"I am sorry!" 

He paused, just to look at her a second before speaking. "No, that's perfectly okay!" The scholar actually wished she'd touch him again. He just now realized how soft it had felt, how warm her hand was on his bare skin and even through the tank top. "Hey there, Kida." 

"Hello…" He noticed her hesitation. "…Though I suppose this is no time to say 'hello.'" 

Milo stood close to her. "Of course it is," he grinned. 

"Our last time, then… You have done so much for all of us, Milo. You will never be forgotten." 

He hummed a short chuckle. "Doesn't matter if I am. I know I just did the right thing. But this isn't our last time, Kida." 

The scholar saw quite a change in her. She paused, lips parted and eyes widening. "What? Is this not… Goodbye?" The wind played with her white hair, serenely beautiful and strange at the same time. 

"No. If you will permit me, your highness," he bowed slightly, but reverently, "I would love to immigrate here." 

Kida was obviously struck speechless and awestruck. 

"I haven't seen a depiction of paradise I liked better than here, Kida… May I?" 

She bit her lip and tossed her arms around him. "Of course you can!" He felt bits of new moisture evaporate from his skin, and he held her tight. To feel her in his arms was bliss. "Please stay!" 

He looked down at her, as she had buried her face in his shoulder. Milo smiled affectionately, and placed his head on hers. 

**. . .**

She stared sleepily at the window, breaking her mind away from memory and was amazed at how bright it seemed. With realization her eyes grew wide, and she threw off the sheets, rushing to the window. 

Kida, in her fatigue, had badly overslept. The Crystal had already lit the world well, and the streets were bustling with activity. 

"YAHD-lu-goh-nikh, I have much to do! I wish to Decide today!" She threw off her nightgown, deciding she did not have time for the preparation needed to put on her royal robes and fix her hair for her crown. Kida had a lot to do before she could even consider her Decision. 

Besides, her street clothes were more comfortable. She threw on her sarong, grabbed her anklets and armband, ran a quick comb through her layered white hair, and as she rushed out she tied her lovelock with leather. 

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she noticed a piece of parchment sitting on the throne. Curiosity overtaking her, she stepped toward it, picking it up with careful fingers. There was some word written on the front of it that she could not decider, but the blue tattoo markings made it clear it was for her. It had to be from Milo, since no one else could read or write Atlantean. Brushing the bangs from her face, she opened it. 

Her face blossomed in smile as her heart melted, and she sat down a moment on the throne, laying back in complete bliss. The strange symbol in which their forms were inscribed she found somehow enchanting. To her it appeared as a shape made with sweet berry juice on the paper, the two lobes on top tapering down to a single point. She sighed, looking dreamy as her breath exuded her ecstasy into the air. 

A determined look grew on her face. "Yes! The Decision will be made today." Gently she put the note back and pranced over the stepping-stones of the water garden, departing into the late morning. 

**. . .**

The mid daylight had brought more than just the huntress. Every once in a while she would spot others exploring the new parts of the city. Not only was this exploration something she needed to do for her people, but she was thoroughly enjoying it. Kida hoped she could take Milo to explore later that night. Surely, she thought, he would love it. 

Much of the risen ruins had been covered to some extent with sea mosses and weeds. Some explorers came just to harvest the rich bounty of corals exposed and dying in hopes to make jewelry and pieces of artwork. 

The air smelled sweetly of the decay of water flora and the beginning growth of new plants. Kida inhaled, marveling at the scents as she climbed a moss-covered pillar. 

To her surprise, the moss did not provide the foothold she expected, and she slid. A quick hand caught a crack in the stone support and kept her from falling. She looked around as she dangled, noting debris seemed to be obscuring what appeared to be a doorway to a building she had seen at a distance during her swims. Pulling herself back up, she descended safely to investigate. After a moment, she tried to move some of the rock as best she could, grunting, and created a short tunnel of sorts by sheer accident. She crawled under, narrowly avoiding hitting her head. Praying the door opened inward, she pushed hard, until the door finally slid with a great, grinding noise. 

It was dark inside, and Kida wrinkled her nose at the old, slightly moldy smell. Holding up her crystal, she noticed shelves upon shelves as far as she could possibly see. Approaching, eyes wide, she noticed scrolls and books lining them, untouched for millennia. 

She grabbed a book and opened it, running her fingers along words and letters she could not read. Instantly she thought of Milo, the outsider who came who could actually read her language. 

"Judging that he is a scholar, he will love this." Kida smiled as she whispered, looking forward to his surprise. 

**. . .**

Milo sighed, and then pulled out his watch. He did not know how long it would be before he forgot to wind it and his time was thrown off. 

"Hmm, fifteen till six." The linguist peered out, noting the lava had already begun to recede. He picked up his scrolls of notes, his ink, and his pencil, and put them in a satchel. "Well, if the ring isn't ready, I could at least show her this tonight." 

With the help of a Ketak, he sped off to the marketplace and the jeweler's. Milo burst into the shop, excited. 

"Milo, there you are!" came the man's voice as he peered past a few customers. 

"Is it ready?" 

"I just finished." 

"Great!" He noted the other customers smiling at his enthusiasm. His grin growing slightly sheepish, he pulled a pouch from the gold sash of his tunic. "I, um… I'm not familiar with Atlantean currency quite yet… I don't even know if I'm carrying enough with me." 

"That is perfectly acceptable. We are not yet familiar with reading!" the shopkeeper joked. 

"Well, um…" The scholar dumped the contents of the pouch into his hand and the jeweler looked it over. "Would this be enough?" 

"…It should be." He held out his hand and Milo gave him the money. "It is just a little more than what you need… But for what you have done for our people…" He handed him back half the money. 

"My gosh! No, no, you don't need to do that. That's too generous." 

"It is the least I can personally do to thank you for what you have done. Please, take these at half price." The jeweler took his hand and put the rings in his palm, closing his fingers as a sign of insistence. "Besides, I seem to be doing especially well today. The new ring came easy for me." 

Milo, in surprise, took his hand away and looked at the rings, making sure first Kida's, then his, were perfect. 

"Are they satisfactory?" 

"Oh, yes, yes! My gosh, thank you so much, sir! You will not regret this!" 

The vendor laughed. "Why would I? And thank you for everything." 

Milo smiled back half in enthusiasm and half in modesty as he turned. "Nah, it was nothing…" He heard something called after him, but he could not quite make it out. He slipped the coins and rings back into his pouch, which he put away. Looking down the street, his heart shot upward. 

There was Kida, examining a pot of spices at a booth, sniffing a pinch of it between her fingers. He rushed over, watching as she paid for it. 

Yet his mind still wondered as he thought of proposing to her immediately. Milo was sure she loved him, but it still seemed so quick. 

As she turned in a hurried fashion, her eyes lit up. "Milo! It is nice to see you!" It was obvious what she said was an understatement from her expression. 

"Exactly the same to you too, Kida. Exactly the same…" He paused a moment before he fished the pouch from his sash. "Kida? I have something very important to--" 

The queen looked disappointed with herself, shifting the weight of the spice pot. "I am sorry, but I cannot talk, Milo. I am expected at an evening feast immediately." 

"Oh… Well, um… That's okay. I guess it can wait if you really have to go…" 

"Thank you. I want to hear it very much. When we speak later at the hideaway, and when you show me what you have discovered of our written language, I may have something very important to tell you." 

"…Okay, then. Go eat, drink and be married. MERRY! Merry! Go… eat, drink… and be… merry." The linguist felt ready to slap himself for his slip. 

He watched as Kida gave him an odd look, then one to slight concern and thought. After a second, she said, "Very well, then. I will see you later. Goodbye, Milo!" 

She embraced him quickly before sprinting off, and Milo simply stood there grinning, feeling all-aglow from it. 

**. . .**

Kida licked the corner of her mouth as she paced away from the gourdhouse. The food had been quite good, she was relieved they had been thrilled with the spice, and talking with friends had never ceased to be the highlight of her day. 

Despite her good time, she still clutched her crystal anxiously. 

"Does he feel the same way I do? I know he must, for his actions seem to indicate it. How he holds my hand… The note he left for me… Yet he has said nothing. Do these actions mean something different in his culture? Does an embrace only denote friendship to him?" She thoughtfully ran her fingers along her resized bracelet. 

As she neared the tattoo parlor, she mused about one last thing. "At least no one will think ill of me." Out of the multitude of people she new in her home, she knew of no one who had been wed so quickly and had an unhappy marriage. Kida sighed, having one good thought to fall back on as she passed through the curtain. 

Even if he did not love her, she did have a surprise for him in which she could take delight in his happiness. The amazingly preserved library would surely enthrall Milo. 

"Hello, Kida, what brings you here tonight?" The tattooist was washing his hands, and a young girl was still grimacing from the pain of getting a tattoo on her arm. 

"Hello, Neshak. Something very important, but first, do you plan on returning to the hunt?" 

The man did not answer for a moment, taking the time to apply a salve, sparkling with crystal fragments, onto the girl's skin, and rubbing hard. "Now, do not wash this off for an hour, understood, Nisha?" 

"Yes! Can I show Mother, now?" 

"You know your way to the Opera House, yes?" 

"Yes, she said she would be there!" 

"Agreed, then. Take care, little one!" 

"Bye!" The girl smiled up at Kida as she giggled her way out. 

"Little Nisha… Now, to you Kida. No, I have no real plan to. As good as you have said I am, I prefer a quieter life. The fishermen are thriving now, since the recent cataclysm, and hunting I have heard is doing better as well. It is occurring so fast! If I am not needed, I would prefer not to, but if I am, I would be happy to help. Now… Why are you here at closing? What could be so important? You received your characteristics tattoo as a child, and you now have your rank tattoos for being queen…" 

"I…" Her mind wandered slightly as she smiled. 

"Ah, I see. You have made your Decision. It is Milo, is it not?" 

"Yes, but… I do worry. I have not yet determined if he loves me. He seems to, but he has said nothing, nor has tried to kiss me. Is it possible his actions mean something different in his culture?" 

The man shrugged. "Do you love him?" 

"With all of my spirit!" 

"Then do not fear, Kida. It will work out. After all, you must have some hope. Why else would you be here? More accurately, you must suspect he does." 

Kida was silent a moment, a confirmation in itself. "…But is it too much to expect? I believe I see it reflected in his eyes, but I could well be my own desire to see it." 

"No. Deep in your spirit you know what he feels. You are hesitant to jump to conclusions, but you know." 

Kida paused, thoughtful, before finally speaking. "…Then let it be done." 

"Where and which?" Grinning, Neshak pulled out sketches of various tattoos and variations. 

Kida held up her left hand. "Our love need not be hidden by sleeve or sash. Let it be for all to always see, no matter the clothes." 

"That sounds wise. Here." He handed the queen the sketches. "Which do you like?" 

Kida shuffled through a few minutes before responding. "This one is nice, but… I like the streaks of that design rather than the angles of this." 

"That _is_ an interesting variation! You would like to replace the angles with the streaks so they come inward to the circle?" 

"If that cane be done, yes!" 

"One moment…" He took an ink trough, dipped it into a vial of blue ink, and sketched it on a new sheet. "An excellent idea. Not as sharp, but still bold… Sit down. I will be with you in a moment." 

She did so, and after a few minutes Neshak returned with his tools. "Are you ready?" 

"More than I will ever be." 

The tattooist censed the back of her hand with numbing solutions, prepared the crystal needle, and then applied the ink to the back of Kida's hand. She cringed slightly as the needle penetrated her skin, a mixture of pain and relief as the instrument simultaneously healed. To repair the remaining skin damage, Neshak healed with his own crystal and applied the salve to her skin, relieving the pain to nothing but an itch, a reminder of the healing process. 

After paying him and bidding her thanks, she walked to the hideout, her heart a mix of emotions. She kept one eye on her feet, the other on the back of her hand. Yet seeing the faces of others who noticed and recognized the mark warmed her heart more, especially when they playfully teased it was finally her time. 


	2. A Most Intriguing Proposal

CHAPTER 2: A Most Intriguing Proposal 

The scholar paced at the hideout, nervous. During the day blossoms on the plants had opened, and their scent caressed the air. Even without the glow of the firefly globe both free fireflies and the moonlight-like crystalbeams floating through the tree branches provided light enough to see almost everything, once one's eyes adapted. The gentle blue shafts from above were soothing, mystical, but even this was not enough to calm Milo's flying heart. 

"Where could she be? I'm so nervous I--" 

"Milo!" 

The distant call made his heart choke him. "Kida?" 

It was not until she was close he could hear her carelessly brush the foliage. "Milo, I have something very important to tell you!" 

The linguist pursed his lips and closed on fist while the other took the pouch. "No, I was wrong earlier. I have something to ask you, and you're not doing anything until I ask. This is more important, unless maybe the volcano is going to erupt again..." 

Holding her left hand behind her, Kida's face grew extremely concerned. "Milo, what is wrong?!" 

"Hopefully nothing, but…" He groped for the queen's ring, and then paused when he found it. This was a moment that would change his entire life, a concept that suddenly seemed so hard to grasp. "What I'm saying is…" The cartographer replaced the pouch and got down onto one knee, holding up the ring to her. He hung on the moment. 

Kida cocked her head as she looked at the ring and at him. "It is a beautiful ring, but… What is it you meant to say?" 

"Oh! I meant--I mean…" He took a deep breath. "Kida, will you marry me?" 

He watched as her eyes widened in amazement, her lips parted. Wordlessly, she crouched, her eyes level with the ring and his. The look in her eyes as she continued to look at the ring seemed strange. Milo could only guess she was realizing what the ring truly meant, glittering in the darkness. 

Yet a shocking thought went through his head. "Is she judging the ring as she is me? What if something like this is faux pas in Atlantean culture?! Milo, you should have checked! Why isn't she saying anything?!" He watched in fear at Kida's silent visage. 

Slowly her eyes turned to his, unbelievably wide. The linguist heard her take a slow breath, her lips changing to a smile the way a caterpillar changes to a butterfly. The bottom of her eyes glistened, perhaps with tears. 

Before Milo could react, Kida threw her arms around him. However, it was enough for the both of them to go crashing down. 

The queen pulled her arms out from under the scholar and got to her knees quickly. "Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" 

Milo propped himself on one arm, rubbing the back of his head. "Will you marry me?" He chuckled, persistent, and glad to have managed to hold onto the ring. 

"Yes!" 

"Then I'm definitely not hurt." They smiled, amazed at each other, silent for a moment after he sat up more. 

Milo cleared his throat. "Did you have a question for me or some news?" 

The look of realization on her face, the amusement, was a puzzle. She held out the back of her left hand, upon which was a pure blue tattoo. Two comet-like shapes curved, swooshing as if to meet each other at the circle at the center. Milo examined it a moment before looking back up at her. 

"…I was about to ask you the same thing." 

Milo burst into laughter. "And I worried I was rushing into things!" 

Kida smiled, moving forward to hug him, and he gratefully returned the embrace. "I had feared I was misinterpreting your actions as affection when they were not." 

He shook his head after they separated, and was delighted. "…So it's the girl who proposes in Atlantis?" 

"Propose… marriage? …No, men do as well." She gave him an odd look. 

Milo smiled. "Interesting. In my country, only men propose." 

"Strange. Why is that?" 

"I have no clue. I'm just thrilled we both had the same idea…!" 

"Yes." Kida smiled dreamily as she moved to sit beside him. 

"You realize this ring is yours, right?" Milo asked, holding it up. 

"It is not just a symbol?" 

"Well, it is symbolic, really, but we each wear one on our left hand on this finger… You don't show someone the ring in proposal, then keep it, I mean." He took her hand and gently slipped it onto her ring finger before putting on his own. 

She looked at it, still in awe. "Then it is like this tattoo." 

"I'll be getting one too?" 

"Yes, in the same place." 

"First thing tomorrow?" he smiled, somehow not remembering the pain of the tattoo he had acquired on his shoulder just recently. 

"Along with the preparations for the wedding tomorrow evening," she purred. 

"Tomorrow night?!" 

Kida shrugged slightly as she spoke, still smiling. "Yeees… What is the problem with that?" 

"It's-- It's so quick! Don't you wait for maybe a few… Months, first?" 

"Some do. Some do not. You marry when you are sure of your love. I want to preserve our love immediately, and cherish every moment as we are one in spirit." 

"But don't a lot of preparations need to be made first? I mean, after all, you're royalty." 

"I know little of royal weddings. How could I know much? I am familiar only with the weddings of my friends. Some are peaceful and quick. Others are jovial and take years of planning. I do not see a need for such extravagance to make our wedding perfect." 

Milo smiled lovingly. "True." 

Kida put her face close to his, and he could feel her breath caress his cheeks as she whispered. "…And we will rule together. When our blood blends in ritual, you will be my king." 

"King?!" In surprise, he raised the arm he had been leaning on, falling backwards and causing Kida to catch a laugh with her hand. Milo had never even thought of the throne. "No, no, you've got it all wrong. I can't be king!" He wondered how any discarded linguist and boiler room attendant could possibly make a decent ruler. 

"Of course you could be king! You saved our home! You cared enough for our people to protect them. We would have been lost without your knowledge and courage! Why could you not?" Despite her incredulous tone, she smiled with enthusiasm, a direct contrast to the expression of a shocked Milo. "You must have been a great scholar! You found your way here," she motioned while cocking her shoulders. 

"No," he awkwardly scuttled back. "There's no way I could ever--" 

She looked at him amorously. "Why could you not?" 

He saw the look in her eyes, a look of loving pride in him, a look of faith. Milo wondered how he could possibly tell her how little respect he had received, what a poor job he actually had. "I…." He fumbled for a distraction in hopes of gathering his thoughts for a good response later. "Well… You see, on the surface--" 

"Yes, tell me of your world. Help me to understand." 

It would be distraction enough, at least for the moment. There was so much to say to here, but he feared she might have second thoughts about marriage if he told her about his disappointing past. "And yet…" he mused, "that look in her eyes…" 

**. . .**

There were the notes to be studied, her own language to learn, but there was something more important at the moment. There was nothing imperative but to be together in this world suddenly charmed with some virtuous, benevolent magic. Everything, even the seeming randomness of the city's decay and nature conquering it made perfect sense. The secret of life seemed within reach. His very breath was like music to her, the beautiful tempo of the wind of life. 

Yet his seeming fear of becoming king was disquieting, especially since she had little clue as to what he was hiding. Still, however, curiosity drove the discussion onward, and it might perhaps reveal some cultural aspect as to why, and to understand more about him in general. 

Kida looked at the scholar, and the pent-up curiosity moved her. Taking the glasses from his face and putting them on as she had before, she asked, "How can you possibly walk wearing this?" Even while sitting, she groped the air, as everything seemed closer, yet she could not touch anything new. "It is a humorous view. Is it used for entertainment? How do you read with this? How does--" 

"Do _they_," he corrected, taking them back gently. The queen crossed her arms. "They're called, 'glasses.' They help me see." 

"How? The world is distorted so much." She tilted her head. 

"Well…" He ran his hand across the back of his neck, twisting as if to pop it. "My vision isn't all that great. You see, I'm farsighted. I hear it has to do with the actual shape of the eye. The glasses correct my vision." 

Kida peered close to his face, then took the glasses again, and put them at her side. "Can you see me?" 

He blinked. "Sure, I can see you, but you're a little blurry to me. Now, you see the pillar over there? The cracked one that's still standing?" Milo pointed to an object a distance off. 

"Yes." She held out his glasses for him. 

"_That_ I can see perfectly. I can even read the writing. The side facing us says, 'ahdluntisug.' Atlantis. I see better at a distance. It's kinda hard for me to read without my glasses," he said, putting them on. 

Kida hesitated before asking another question, taking advantage of the fact Milo was asking none for some reason, perhaps from trying to avoid what he was concealing. 

"So, voyager, if you could be anywhere, where would you be? Tell me about it." 

"Oh," Milo started, looking over his glasses at her, "right here. Nowhere else, just right next to you…" 

She smiled, touched, but continued with an arched brow. "I meant on the surface." 

"Oh! Yeah. Of course, um… Well, I really don't know. Probably the pyramids. They're huge tombs filled with historical writings." 

"You… wish to go to a tomb? Is it to worship the spirits of the ancestors?" 

"No, not like that. Just to learn about their culture firsthand as opposed to the books I have. Just to see it…!" 

"I understand," she said after a hum. 

"Stonehenge would be wonderful, though, too. It's a huge stone monument of sorts, we think, but little of it, even the way it was made, is known. That would be great." 

The huntress cocked her head, intrigued, yet her mind still examined him. "He is nervous. I can see it in his eyes and the way he gestures… Why will he not ascend the throne?" 

"I've seen pictures…" 

Kida changed the subject slightly. "What are stars like? The murals seemed to depict them like shimmering gems high in the heavens." 

The scholar laughed a bit. "They kinda look like them, but they're not. You only see them as pinpoints of light in a black sky. But you know how something farther away looks smaller than it really is? Well, stars are massive spheroids bigger than the earth in space and are composed of helium and hydrogen and burn at unbelievable temperatures, releasing vast amounts of heat and light energy, among others, through the fusion of the hydrogen atoms. They are billions of miles away from the earth." 

Kida looked blankly at him, blinking. 

"Um… Fireballs bigger than the world." 

She nodded, and fell silent for a moment, thinking, before her eyes lit up in wonder. "…I do not remember what stars look like…" 

"Hmmm. Yeah, I guess you can miss some things down here." He paused. "But you know what? We have an entire world to explore down here together. Atlantis has been restored to the five rings Plato talked about." 

"Yes," she smiled, hoping he would bring that up. Kida stood, then bent down and took hold of Milo's wrist, pulling him up. "Let us explore our new home!" 

He smiled to her as she took off, him in tow. Milo broke away momentarily as he could take her hand as she led and glanced back. They laughed as delightedly as any couple could. 

**. . .**

"Be careful. I almost hit my head on that rock when I found this earlier today." 

"It's dark. What ro-- Owww!!! Um… Well, I guess I found it." Milo straightened his glasses after rubbing his forehead. His eyes had not yet adjusted to the light of his crystal. "Where are we heading, anyway?" 

Kida laughed through a closed-mouth smile. "You will see!" 

She pushed hard on a stone door, using her shoulder, and an ancient smell greeted him as it ground open. They entered together when she took his hand. 

Milo's eyes grew large and an astonished smile appeared as he saw seemingly endless shelves of writings in various forms. "Jiminy Christmas! It's… It's huge!" 

"Yes, though I suspect from the smell many of these tomes will not be readable any longer." 

"Maybe, but… My gosh! What a start this is! This-This is great!" 

Kida smiled. "I thought you would like it." 

"Come on! Let's look at a few of these before scouting out the rest of the rings!" 

Thus they searched for answers, keys to the past. Milo and Kida revealed mysteries to each other as they explored antediluvian pages and faces, enlightening themselves about the past of their home inside the ancient library. 

**. . .**

The couple stood at the water's edge, hand in hard, and looked on as fireflies would settle on the water, surface tension holding them perfectly to create tiny glowing water lilies. It was beautiful irony. 

The linguist glanced around and saw an elevated walkway some ways down spanning the water. "Guess we better head down if we want to cross." 

The warrior looked directly at him, smiling mischievously. "Why? The mural here is still half-submerged. It was once too deep for me to reach. I very much wish to see it. Let us simply swim across." She began to step into the water. 

"But Kida, our clothes would be left over--" Suddenly, she grabbed his arm, pulling him into waist-deep water. "…And… Now our clothes are soaked." 

The queen shrugged slightly. "It saves us the trip back later. There is much to explore." 

"I--" He looked down at his already half-soaked clothes. "Okay." Milo watched as Kida took a deep breath and slipped perfectly into the water. He took a deep breath and followed, frog-kicking after her. 

The only light from the surface was the shimmering gold dots of the fireflies that had alighted on the surface. All useful illumination came from the gems that hung near their hearts as they swam. Milo found it somehow strange to have his own crystal. The linguist saw his fiancée pause at the mural, running her hand over her the pictures she never hoped to see. Their light glinted off the tiles of the mosaic harmoniously. 

Yet, despite it all, Milo still worried. "…So much to tell her about the surface and my background, but she'd never understand I _never_ made it out of the boiler room until I came here… They talked about me flushing my career down the toilet." He shook his head. "I had a paycheck, not really a career… How could she possibly understand I wasn't so great? How do I tell her? I'd break her heart." 

Kida was giving him a strange look. Milo did not realize he had paused, so he rushed over and began to read. He quickly found his lungs burning, and motioned for her to go to the water's surface with him. They broke into a small patch away from any fireflies. 

"It's daily life!" He gasped. 

"The writings?" 

"Yeah! They're descriptions of how Atlantis functioned before the Great Flood." 

"What else? What do they say? How did we live? What did we do?" 

"I don't know yet. Let's go!" Milo quickly gasped in a deep breath and submerged again. Kida joined him at the mural. When he looked over at her, she was smiling to him. The scholar smiled back and went back to reading as best he could, as he couldn't keep his mind off of her. His concentration was shattered when he saw her move close out of the corner of his eye, and something soft and warm pressed against his cheek. In great surprise, he let some of his breath free, bubbles escaping into the water when she kissed him. They ascended as if in hopes to catch up with Milo's soul. He let a few more escape as he let himself float downward dreamily for a moment. Milo looked up at her, and she smiled, motioning upward with her eyes. Absolutely taken by her, he followed back to the surface. 


	3. A Binding of Spirits

CHAPTER 3: A Binding of Spirits 

Milo had thought the view was spectacular the first time he stood on top of a stone giant. With Atlantis restored to a former glory, his breath was taken away more than he would have thought feasible. On one side the lava moat glowed in its hues of ruby and gold, creating the early morning warmth along the fifth ring. He stood facing into the city, gazing at the subtle blues that night created, especially in the presence of the dimmed, moon-like Mother Crystal that created them. Lights shimmered in the distant inner city from lamps, torches and the like that had been left lit during the night. Milo did not need any of that. His love alone filled him with light. He felt Kida's back press against his chest as he had his arms around her. 

"There is so much to explore…. Our home is so beautiful now…" Kida's tones denoted her disbelief. 

"You don't think it was beautiful beforehand?" 

Smiling, she nudged him playfully as if to say, "You know what I meant." 

The man looked off, watching a flock of parrot lizards flying high after catching the thermals. Rising with them was a magnificent greater yeragos, gray in color, but with a body meant to soar. It craned its long neck as if to watch the couple. "I was unbelievably lucky to find this place." Milo sighed happily. 

"Had you been unlucky?" his love inferred. 

"No. I mean kinda. I mean…" It was then he realized he could not avoid it any longer. There wasn't any more time to plan his words, for there was no better time to tell her, or rather, there would be much worse times. He knew the longer he waited to tell her, the greater the chance she might lose faith in him for that reason. He hummed a course sigh. "It depends on how you look at it. You might want to sit down for this one." 

"For what one?" 

"Just sit." 

The huntress looked back concernedly at him, but broke away and sat on one of the step-like formations of the stone giant's "hat." Milo sat beside her. "Kida… I gotta tell you something. I'm not the person you think I am. I wasn't revered for being some great scholar or anything. Not even close…" Thus was how he started. 

**. . .**

"So, um… Here I am." He sighed, looking downward at the falls. 

Kida put a hand on his shoulder. "Why did you not tell me?" 

"I was afraid you might, well, think less of me? Not like keeping secrets would make you like me, but still…" 

"I do not think any less of you, Milo." 

"You're not disappointed?" 

"No. It makes your deeds here all the greater as you proved yourself. If you wish to wait to become king, we may postpone the Binding of the Blood ceremony. You will not be of royal blood, making you a representative king. We may perform it when you believe you are experienced enough to take on the full role. That is what you read to me earlier when I showed you the library. These are different times. Though we will restore other traditions, the ritual does not need to be at marriage, as was supposedly traditional according to the scroll." 

"You don't mind if we wait?" 

"Of course I would not." She paused a moment, the comforting smile fading as she turned thoughtful, but worried. 

"Kida?" He sat beside her. 

"…A friend of mine, when speaking to an explorer, learned religion is a touchy subject in your culture…" 

"It can be. So?" 

"…I fear some fundamental points of our religions may clash. May we please speak of them before our marriage?" 

"Of course! I want to learn about yours in the first place!" 

"Good… I also need to tell you of _my_ past. I was not always as I am today…" . . . 

"You worried those things would make me love you less?" 

"If in surface culture you feared your past might be so terrible to me, then what of my past?" 

"What you would have done 1000 years ago isn't what you'd do now. Kida, you never did that. You weren't my first love, either, though, I'm not sure if realizing you loved someone after the fact entirely counts…" 

"It does, I believe, but I was not your first?" 

"Well, no. Second. But unlike Lisa McGrath-- The first girl… You… Kida, you understand me. You understand pursuing difficult dreams. And as for any religious difficulties, it's enough just to be with you. I wouldn't ask for anything else." The wanderer put his arm around her. "Just knowing I met you is so special." 

A look of great relief and of being touched appeared on the visage of the restless warrior. "It is for me as well." 

"Kida… Surely you know by now I didn't just stay here to be in the place I always dreamed of finding. We both belong here together…" Milo stood, her hand in his, and she got up as well. 

Amorously she gazed into his eyes. "We are blessed, and nothing prevents us from treasuring it." 

"I've been waiting all my life for you without knowing it. I didn't even know what I was missing." 

The wind was hot and muggy as they stood atop the giant, but hey neither noticed, nor cared. 

"The Home of my Spirit takes wing…!" she whispered to him. 

"You… never explained that phrase." He adjusted his glasses to see her better, as she was the best in his eyes. 

"It is a religious saying." Gently the queen lifted the hand she held and pressed the back of his hand to her torso, adding warmth by pacing her other hand on top of it. "…It is my heart," she whispered soothingly. Indeed, he could feel it beat powerfully. 

Slowly he moved her hands to his chest. "Mine too…" . . . 

Kida's eyes lit up in remembrance. "Before I forget, I wish to ask you something. By our traditions, the moment immediately after a couple is wed, they announce what they will do immediately after. What would you do in your world?" 

"Well, um…" He smiled, suddenly shy. "As soon as they're pronounced 'man and wife'--" 

"Why not 'husband and wife?'" 

"I… Well they say either, actually, but I don't know why they say that as opposed to the other sometimes… But as soon as they are, and, well, after they formally exchange rings, and thus are officially wed, they… How do I put this? Look at each other tenderly and put their lips together… Kind of like you did when we were swimming except…" 

He trailed off when he saw the amused look on Kida's face, one brow raised. She crossed her arms, having to laugh mentally. "Milo, do you think our culture so alien we do not know what a kiss is?" 

"Well I-- You can never be completely sure. I thought you might, but…" 

"Is marriage when you first kiss in your country?" She stepped closer to him. 

"No." 

"Then why wait?" she half-whispered. Kida put her face close to his, his glasses enlarging his eyes to make him look younger, cuter. His pupils seemed impossibly large, and yet, if he felt the same way she did, she could believe it. The look of surprise on Milo's face melted to one of love. She closed her eyes, turning her face slightly. The sound of his breathing was accompanied by calls of birds native to her home. The romantic ruins in which she had lived had become just that: romantic. Kida could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips a mere second before they touched. A wonderful sensation went through her frame, rejuvenating, as the fatigue of having been a host seemed to dissipate, being replaced by the elation, the faith that was him. Their spirits could not soar higher. 

Finally, _their_ time had come to find true love, not one that ended quickly or painfully. Through the uncertainties they encountered, they moved through in the grace of love, seeing there was nothing to fear. On their own they had been strong for so long, but now, together, they would grow even stronger. . . . 

Milo stood in front of the full-length mirror, putting on the royal robes. It had been a very long day filled with preparations for the wedding that was about to take place. Atlantean tailors had never been so busy. 

The robes were perfectly clean, but Milo could not help but feel wrong somehow, since they once belonged to the late King. As a result of size-differences, the robes hung loosely and long on the linguist, his toes barely peeking out from the bottom. He put in the fez-like formal cap, and looked at himself, the hat falling over his eyes like his grandfather's pith helmet. 

In addition to everything, he had found scrolls in the library about King Stone rituals. In any shred of spare time he read them, knowing how important it was to raise a stone in King Kashekim Nedak's honor. With luck, and with the work of every Atlantean stone carver, a stone might be raised within a week's time. 

He found it somehow amazing he was not exhausted. He had not slept at all the previous night, spending every moment of it exploring with Kida. 

Milo took a cloak into his hands and fastened it to his neck and wrists appropriately. With arms down, the cloak hid his robes perfectly. 

The cloak was magnificent, the patterns like feathers of blue and gold. He readjusted his cap again and walked into the hall. 

There Kida stood, newly ready. Though he knew Kida wore her royal gown beneath her white cloak, it was perfectly concealed as well by the feather-pattern. He also knew from her that the wedding cloak was once her mother's. 

She held up the ring she was to give to him, and he did the same, smiling. The tattoo on the back of his left hand itched, and he rubbed it against his leg to relieve it. 

"Are you ready?" "

My gosh, yes!" She took his hand and they left the softly lit palace, walking into the late evening together. 

**. . .**

The air at the waterfront smelled sweet, a light breeze stirring both air and heart. As true love, it was a dream coming true for them both. The area was softly lit by firefly globes, and the people attending in their best attire and spread all the way to the water. 

The couple faced each other in the presence of a priest, there to oversee the ceremony. Simultaneously Milo and Kida stretched forth an arm to the Heart of Atlantis, the sky's single star. They began their impromptu vows, words that came from the heart. 

The cartographer swallowed hard before he started, holding the queen's free hand with fingers interlocked. "We promise to take each other's hands." 

With the utmost affection Kida gazed into his soft brown eyes. "We promise to walk by each other's side." 

"We promise to always be there for each other." 

"Through our laughter and our sobs." 

"In sickness and in health." 

"Through the millennia, our love will outlast our bodies." 

"To every undiscovered destination and through every exploration." 

"Through every revelation." 

"Every day together will be special." 

"Every day our unity will become greater…" 

The priest noted the pause and spoke. "Will you both go on with each other?" 

Kida lowered her arm to place her hand on Milo's. "Yes." 

Milo did the same. "I do." 

Still smiling, the queen blinked. "You do what?" she whispered, leaning close for him to hear. 

"Oh! I mean 'yes!' Yes!" 

The cleric gave him an amused look, and then proceeded to the end. "Then may the Crystal call your spirits to each other." He bowed to the queen and the newly representative king. 

Milo took Kida's hand and gently slipped the ring onto her finger. She tried to copy his movements, putting the ring on his finger as well. They glanced to their people, who awaited the announcement of what they would do. Wordlessly, they looked into each other's shining eyes as if they had never seen anything so marvelous in their lives. The meeting of their eyes was the meeting of their souls. The scholar king wrapped his arms around her and they tasted each other's breath. Kida nuzzled his nose with hers for a brief moment before their lips touched, filling themselves with strength and joy, and feeling as if they might take flight. After they broke away, Kida's smile turned more playful, her blue eyes glistening. She unfastened a part of her cloak, as did he, and in ceremony they sprinted down an isle instantly made by their people. The cloak flared like spreading white wings behind her as she caught the wind, and as he took her hand, his did as well, much like those of a majestic eagle's. 

Milo's surprise was notable as she stopped at the waters edge. He had thought their actions had been an actual demonstration of their first act of marriage, and he wondered if Kida intended something else. She looked up sweetly into his earth-colored eyes. Looking back into her cerulean, he felt her hands against his chest, and she leaned close. Eyes half-closed in love, he began to put his arms around her, ready for another kiss. The king leaned toward her. 

The sensation of falling backwards made his eyes fly open, Kida laughing as she pushed him into the water. Milo cried out as she dove beside him into the cold waters. He sputtered when he reached the surface, hearing laughter through the crowd. Kida surfaced beside him, quite a sight as her headdress crown drooped onto her face from the water. She brushed them aside, humming her laughter. 

The king could not help but laugh either. She gave him a loving look, complete with a half-smile, and kicked in the water, submerging a moment before surfacing a few feet away, looking back. 

It was a game now, and he followed, gladly participating. When he reached a hidden alcove, Milo stopped to look around, unable to find his wife in the water. It was not long before he found her waiting on a fallen pillar. Kida smiled to her husband as he climbed to sit next to her, and they embraced in the evening's crystallight. 

That evening was the end of their old lives, making way for the new, dawning future. Every day, every mere moment was precious history, and each day they would build their lives, for their spirits had become one. Though it was not yet literal, their hearts beat together as the most beautiful of hymns. 

It was a promise to cherish and keep for eternity, for love would be their journey, their destiny.   


CREDITS:

  


The Song That Started it All

  


"Here I Am" - Bryan Adams, Spirit Soundtrack

  


The Songs That Built the Story

  


"Promise" -WDW Millennium Celebration

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" - The Lion King On Broadway

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" - Elton John, The Lion King Soundtrack

  


The Songs That Enhanced

  


"Never Had a Dream Come True" - S Club 7

"Come take My Hand" -DJ Bobo

"Don't Walk Away" - Curly

"(Will You Follow Me) Down to Atlantis" -Fury in the Slaughterhouse feat Joey

"Like an Ocean" -Juliette

"Please Stay" - Jeanette

"You & I" - Jennifer Rush

"Here I Am" -- Judith


End file.
